UNDER REVIEW

Botswana anti-discrimination efforts face scrutiny in Switzerland

United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) this past Monday opened its one hundred and eighth (108th) session in Geneva, during which it will review anti-discrimination efforts by Botswana.

The committee’s session is set to run until December 2 during which other countries to be reviewed are Bahrain, Brazil, France, Georgia and Jamaica.

The six countries are among the 182 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). They are required to undergo regular reviews by the Committee of 18 independent international experts on how they are implementing the Convention.

The Committee, which has received respective country reports and other submissions from nongovernmental organizations and national human rights institutions, will discuss and address a range of issues with the six State delegations through public dialogues that will see Botswana make presentations on November on Monday and Tuesday next week, with France taking centre stage this past Tuesday followed by Brazil whose status report will be discussed this Wednesday.

The reviews, which will also feature Bahrain and Brazil this Thursday and Friday, as well as Jamaica and Georgia next Wednesday and Thursday, will be held in the Ground Floor Conference Room of Palais Wilson in Geneva, broadcast live on UN Web TV and open to the press.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination monitors States parties’ adherence to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which, to date has 182 States parties. The Committee is made up of 18 members who are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties.

Verene Albertha Shepherd, Committee Chairperson, expressed hope this week that the Committee would hold fruitful dialogues with delegations from Botswana and the other five countries, as well as with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutes. She said that the Committee would continue to discuss ways to eliminate racial discrimination, considering the impacts of colonialism, COVID-19, climate change and other issues that continued to fracture peaceful relations and further disadvantage marginalised groups.

Social media has been viewed as a key catalyst as it continues to amplify racist rhetoric and extremist views, inciting violence and hatred. To respond, the Committee aims to keep its obligations under the Convention strong, and holding States accountable to their treaty obligations and for the elimination of racial discrimination in all its forms, for the benefit of all.

Under review for Botswana will be human rights concerns relating to the country’s immigration enforcement policies and practices, with a focus on detention and the treatment of at-risk groups. In particular, it will discuss the discriminatory treatment and detention of non-citizens - migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers - on the basis of their race, colour, nationality and ethnic origin, in the context of Botswana’s obligations under the ICERD and the

General Recommendations of the CERD. The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) assisted with the research on the country. (OHCHR)